The present work focuses on the effect of adding gum Arabic on the setting time of cement pastes, workability, and compressive strength of concrete. For workability and compressive strength liquid gum Arabic was added to concrete mixes at ratios of 0.0% (control mix), 0.3%, 0.5%, 0.7% of the weight of cement. In addition, from 0.1% to 0.7%, ratios of GA were added to cement paste to investigate the effect of this admixture on the initial and final setting time of cement. Concrete cube specimens cast using metallic molds measuring 150 x 150 x 150 mm, and cured at 7, 28 and 91 days. From the results obtained it has been shown that the setting time of cement paste delays with increasing GA ratios. The amount of slump of fresh concrete increases largely with increasing GA ratios. GA develops considerably more compressive strength than normal concrete. The highest strength was observed at 7% of GA at all ages.